Translation commentary on Proverbs 6:20

“My son, keep your father’s commandment”: This whole verse is very similar to 1.8. See there for comments. For comments on “commandment” see 2.1. For “mother’s teaching” see 1.8. See also 6.23.

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

complete verse (Proverbs 6:20)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Proverbs 6:20:

  • Kupsabiny: “Please, my child, fix in the head the words that your father is telling you and do not neglect what your mother is teaching you.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “O my son!
    Pay attention to your father’s commands
    Do not forget your mother’s teaching.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Child, obey what your (sing.) parents are-commanding and teaching you (sing.).” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “My child, obey the commands/instructions of your (sing.) father and do not be-forgetting what your (sing.) mother has-been-teaching.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)

law

The Greek, Hebrew, and Ge’ez that is translated in English as “Law” or “law” is translated in Mairasi as oro nasinggiei or “prohibited things” (source: Enggavoter 2004), in Noongar with a capitalized form of the term for “words” (Warrinya) (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang), in Yucateco as “ordered-word” (for “commandment,” it is “spoken-word”) (source: Nida 1947, p. 198), and in Central Tarahumara it is “writing-command” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)

McKnight’s English translation (publ. 2023) has it as Covenant Code. He explains (p. 301): “The law of Moses was a covenantal arrangement by God with the people of Israel. This code of conduct expected of them was not the same as law in the Roman world or what law means to us today. It is a revelation of God’s will for God’s covenant people but requires ongoing interpretation and adjustments.”

In a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, it is translated with the Arabic loan word shari’at (شريعت), originally meaning “(Islamic) law (Shari’a).” (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )

See also teaching / law (of God) (Japanese honorifics).

SIL Translator’s Notes on Proverbs 6:20

Paragraph 6:20–35

In these notes, this section forms a single paragraph (as in the New Revised Standard Version). If a long paragraph like this is not natural in your language, you may want to make paragraph breaks as in the section summary above. Some other ways to divide the paragraphs are:

• 6:20–26, 27–35 (Good News Translation)

• 6:20–22, 23–29, 30–35 (Contemporary English Version)

• 6:20–29, 30–35 (New International Version)

Divide the paragraphs in a way that fits the natural patterns of your language.

6:20

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

20a My son, keep your father’s commandment,

20b and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

6:20a–b

keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching: See the note on 1:8a. This verse is identical, except that in this verse commandment is used in place of “instruction.” For the word commandment, see the note at 2:1b.

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